


Up in the air

by toomanystoriessolittletime



Category: British Actor RPF
Genre: Airplanes, F/M, The Night Manager (TV) Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:10:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21974608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toomanystoriessolittletime/pseuds/toomanystoriessolittletime
Summary: Lana is on her way back to London from her best friends wedding, when her seat on the plane seems to be double booked.
Relationships: Tom Hiddleston/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42





	Up in the air

Weddings. Weddings were always somehow bittersweet for her. The only thing that mattered for her family when she was growing up, was being the perfect lady so she would get a nice husband.

Safe to say, that when she decided to become a doctor and not to get married to Samuel Silverman, who was the first choice of her mother, her family marked her the black sheep of the family.

But with being the lead cardiac surgeon in a hospital in London at 35 she could live as the black sheep of her family.

But back to the wedding. Her best friend left London 5 years ago to work in New York and fell in love with her barista there. It was the perfect love story. And the wedding had been beautiful. But now she was on her way back to London. The flight was overbooked and it looked like it would be a while, before they would start boarding the plane. Maybe that would give her enough time to finish reading _The night manager_.

It was 45 minutes later when they finally started boarding the plane. She only had a couple of pages left to read and was already cursing herself for being stuck on a plane without a new book to read. Usually she had her IPad with her, but after trying to install the software update earlier this morning, it chose to die and there simply hadn’t been enough time to get to an apple store before her flight.

She handed her ticket over the counter to be scanned and heard the words everyone wants to hear before an 8 Hour flight.

“It seems like you’re one of the lucky one’s who got switched to Business. Your new seat is 4F. Have a nice flight.”

“Thank you so much.” She said and walked down to the plane.

Stepping into the business class when always flying economy was some kind of surreal. There was so much space everywhere. Sitting down in her seat she placed her purse beside her, getting her phone and book out. She checked her schedule for the rest of the week. She had tomorrow off, but then it was back to work. There were already four surgeries scheduled for her first day. She answered some emails before she heard a voice next to her.

“Excuse me Miss? I think you’re in my seat.” A deep voice said and she looked up from her phone, to the man who was standing next to her. At first all she saw were legs. As she let her view wander up over a blue sweater she finally made it to the face of him. He had a beard which failed in hiding his sharp cheekbones. Blue eyes with a hint of green were looking at her. A waiting smile on his face.

“Uh… Am I?” She asked and looked for her ticket.

“It says 4F? Is this not 4F?” She asked again, looking for the seat number. No. She was in the right seat.

“Should I be concerned that my Ticket says 4F too?” He asked sighing.

“Let’s just ask a flight attendant. I bet they can help.” She suggested and stood from her seat.

He followed her to the next flight attendant.

“Excuse me? I think there was a mistake with our seats. We are both booked on the same one.”

“Oh? Let me check this real quick. Could you hand me both of you tickets?” The flight attendant asked. The man next to her handed him his ticket, she did the same.

“So. That is a first.” She chuckled to herself, looking at him from the side.

“For me too.” He said next to her.

“Dr. Laurence, Mr. Hiddleston. I’m so sorry there seems to be a mix up in our system. Mr. Hiddleston you’re indeed booked in seat 4F. Dr. Laurence, you’re in 4E.” He handed us our tickets back.

“Thank you. I just switch to the next seat then.”

“Oh you don’t have to. I can take your seat, it’s perfectly fine.” Mr. Hiddleston said.

“You want to renounce your window seat?” She asked as they were walking back.

“If you let me have a peak out of the window once in a while, we should be ok, Dr. Laurence.” He smiled while guiding her back to her seat.

“Lana. Please. I’m still on vacation. I’ll soon enough be Dr. Laurence again.” She laughed while sitting down.

“I’m Tom.” He sat down and stretched his legs. She chuckled next to him, earning an asking look.

“I just imagined you back in economy. No wonder you payed more for the legroom here.”

“It’s a luxury I am very glad I can afford.” He said sincere and put his book in his lap looking at her. Her brown hair was put loose in a bun. The heels she wore stood next to her feet, her feet in fluffy pink socks. She was wearing a loose grey knee length skirt and a shirt in the same colour as her skirt. She was about to put a blanket over herself when she caught him staring.

“Can I help you?” She asked, a little smirk on her face. Handsome men starring at her wasn’t something which happened to her quite often. And he was very handsome.

“Oh no. Sorry.” He mumbled and began to read his book.

An hour later the first drinks were served and Lana finally made the effort to reach for her book to finish it. It was always bittersweet for her to finish a book. There might be a couple books in her flat in London she never finished because she couldn’t say goodbye to the characters.

Tom had just finished his book when he heard her sighing next to him. She too had closed her book and put it in her lap.

“It’s always weird finishing a book, isn’t it?” He asked. She turned to look at him.

“I hate it. But at least this one there is something I can look forward too. They made a TV series out of this. I only heard good about it.”

“Which book? Maybe I heard about it.”

“_The night manager_ by John Le Carré.”

“Oh?” Tom tried to appear as normal as possible. If she hadn’t recognized him by now, there was a chance that she didn’t know who he was. And he wanted it to stay this way.

“Yes. I ‘m working myself through all of his novels at the moment.”

“I loved _the night manager_ as well as _Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy_.”

“Finally someone with taste.” She celebrated.

“Why thank you Dr. Laurence.” He said, straightening in his seat.

“I read this book within the last 2 days. I couldn’t lay it down. Jonathan Pine is one interesting man.”

“Le Carré certainly has a hand for his characters.” Tom agreed.

“Have you by chance seen the series? I don’t want to spoil the book, because the TV adaption sucks.”

Tom bit his tongue, to stop himself from laughing.

“I have seen it. I think it does the book justice.”

“I’m going to hold you to that statement if I’m disappointed while I’m watching.” She warned, winking at him.

“Please do.” He chuckled.

They spend the next couple of hours talking about their favourite books. Favourite restaurants. Favourite places.

To Lana it was a mystery how someone intelligent and funny like Tom could be single. There has to be something wrong with him. He lived in the same area in London as she did, so he had to have a good job. Maybe an architect. Or some manager of a upcoming start up.

Tom didn’t know when he last spent hours talking about everything but his job. In the end, it always was about his work and his fame. But here he was. Above the clouds in an airplane with a woman, who had no idea who he was. Who was a cardiac surgeon and had almost the same interests as him. They even lived in the same area. Something had to be wrong with her.

They were standing at the luggage claim when he decided to ask for her number. After spending 6 hours of an 8-hour flight talking to her, he was ready to find out, if there was something wrong with her. But a little part of him hoped, there wouldn’t be.

“You know I would love to hear your opinion about the night manager series, once you watched it.” He began.

“Is that you subtle way to ask for my number Mr. Hiddleston?” She grinned at him.

“It is.” He laughed.

“But if you want to hear my opinion, shouldn’t I be the one who gets your number?” She asked, her right eyebrow raised.

“Sounds logical.” He admitted.

“So?”

“Hm?”

“Do I get your number? For sheer review reasons of course.”

She did get his number. And one rainy Saturday two weeks later, she decided to watch the first episode of the night manager. Cuddling herself into her blanket, a big mug of tea next to hear she started the episode, only to pause it after a few minutes. Shocked. Searching for her phone she dialled the number he gave to her.

“Tom’s phone.” A male voice answered after a while.

“Uhm. Yes. Hello. This is Dr. Laurence. Is this Tom Hiddlestons number?”

“Yes?”

“Was that a question or the answer?” She asked.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why are you calling?”

“It’s private?” It was her turn to ask.

“He’s currently in an interview. Can I get a message for him?”

“Oh sure. Tell him. Dr. Laurence called and he has some serious explaining to do.”


End file.
